Monday, August 20, 2012

Not just about Delhi dargahs

Sadia Dehlvi tells as much about Sufi shrines as she narrates her religious experiences, writes RV Smith
Whatever reason may dictate, faith in shrines of any religion or
community is an all-pervading sentiment. Sadia Dehlvi’s book on the Sufi
dargahs of Delhi is an eloquent example of this. Sadia has imbibed her
love for these memorials from her mother who was able to make an
initially doubtful teenager to believe in divine intervention in the
lives of people through the intersession of Sufi saints, both men and
women. The result is seen in this publication in which historical facts,
legends and myths combine with personal experiences to present an
interesting treatise for readers — all of whom might not be the
‘believers’ but still enjoy them all the same.
The book is as much about dargahs as it is about Sadia and her
experiments with religion. “My engagement with Sufism began as a
teenager while occasionally accompanying my grandfather to the dargah
of Hazrat Nizamuddin. Apart from the knowledge that dargahs were
revered spaces, I understood little else. Years later, my mother
embarked on the Sufi path and became a disciple too... I observed that Ammi became
softer on us as far as daily religious obligations were concerned and
felt relieved. A convent-educated rebel of the 1970s, I had little to do
with religion and appreciated the dargah visits in a cultural
context,” she writes. “This led me to believe the Sufi path was easier,
not requiring religious rituals. Over the years, as my interest in Sufi
philosophy deepened, I realised that nothing could be further from the
truth. I grew to understand Sufism as a difficult path, more meaningful
and demanding of a person than the mere fulfillment of mandatory
religious duties. Sufism welcomes you with an all-encompassing
compassion, igniting a desire to swim deeper in the ocean of Divinity.”
Sadia then goes back tracing the history of Sufism in India. She
tells us about Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, disciple of Moinuddin Chisti,
after whom came Nizamuddin Auliya. Then came Amir Khusrau, whose love
for India was more attuned to the Indian milieu. Savour this from
Khusrau: “The heavens said that of all the countries which have come out
of the earth. among them it is Hindustan that has achieved the pinnacle
of excellence.”
Once, when Khusrau accompanied Hazrat Nizamuddin on a stroll, they
saw a group of Brahmins praying. Nizamuddin remarked: “Every people have
their direction of worship.” At this Khusrau replied: “My direction of
prayer is towards the slanting cap.” Interestingly, Hazrat Nizamuddin
used to wear his cap with a slant. Khusrau continued, “Lovers of the
Beloved take us to Kaabah and to the temple of idols. Lovers of the
Friend are not bothered with infidelity and faith.”
Sadia tells us more about Khusrau. “The creation of the sitar and the tabla are attributed to Khusrau. Several Indian melodies as well as the development of qawaali are also attributed to him. His music compositions include khayals, taranas, naqshs and other ragas
that celebrate the fusion of Indian and Persian melodies. These were
designed to provide novelty in the music assemblies of Hazrat Nizamuddin
khanqah (hospice).”
Entry to a Sufi shrine is open to all, except for the dargah of Bibi
Sara, disciple of Khwaja Qutubuddin, where only women are allowed. As
for women, they avoid the mausoleum of Adham Khan, Akbar’s general.
The Sufis of Delhi were close to the seat of power and many emperors
enjoyed their patronage, but this did not deter them from being secular
in their approach. Nizamuddin Auliya celebrated Basant with great
fervour and there were others who celebrated Diwali as the divine
festival of lights. Many unknown aspects of Delhi’s Sufi heritage are
brought to light by Sadia to make the book a really enjoyable digression
from the mundane cares of life.
Her approach is neither didactic nor fundamentalist. It is the
refreshing observation of a woman whose mind is open to both belief and
rationality. The language is lucid but at places the description could
have been more colourful. The photographs no doubt add to the appeal of
the book but black-and-white shots or sketches may have been better.
Also, the price could have been a notch lower for the sake of students
and retired folk.
The reviewer is the author of the book, The Delhi That No One Knows

Monday, August 20, 2012

Not just about Delhi dargahs

Sadia Dehlvi tells as much about Sufi shrines as she narrates her religious experiences, writes RV Smith
Whatever reason may dictate, faith in shrines of any religion or
community is an all-pervading sentiment. Sadia Dehlvi’s book on the Sufi
dargahs of Delhi is an eloquent example of this. Sadia has imbibed her
love for these memorials from her mother who was able to make an
initially doubtful teenager to believe in divine intervention in the
lives of people through the intersession of Sufi saints, both men and
women. The result is seen in this publication in which historical facts,
legends and myths combine with personal experiences to present an
interesting treatise for readers — all of whom might not be the
‘believers’ but still enjoy them all the same.
The book is as much about dargahs as it is about Sadia and her
experiments with religion. “My engagement with Sufism began as a
teenager while occasionally accompanying my grandfather to the dargah
of Hazrat Nizamuddin. Apart from the knowledge that dargahs were
revered spaces, I understood little else. Years later, my mother
embarked on the Sufi path and became a disciple too... I observed that Ammi became
softer on us as far as daily religious obligations were concerned and
felt relieved. A convent-educated rebel of the 1970s, I had little to do
with religion and appreciated the dargah visits in a cultural
context,” she writes. “This led me to believe the Sufi path was easier,
not requiring religious rituals. Over the years, as my interest in Sufi
philosophy deepened, I realised that nothing could be further from the
truth. I grew to understand Sufism as a difficult path, more meaningful
and demanding of a person than the mere fulfillment of mandatory
religious duties. Sufism welcomes you with an all-encompassing
compassion, igniting a desire to swim deeper in the ocean of Divinity.”
Sadia then goes back tracing the history of Sufism in India. She
tells us about Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, disciple of Moinuddin Chisti,
after whom came Nizamuddin Auliya. Then came Amir Khusrau, whose love
for India was more attuned to the Indian milieu. Savour this from
Khusrau: “The heavens said that of all the countries which have come out
of the earth. among them it is Hindustan that has achieved the pinnacle
of excellence.”
Once, when Khusrau accompanied Hazrat Nizamuddin on a stroll, they
saw a group of Brahmins praying. Nizamuddin remarked: “Every people have
their direction of worship.” At this Khusrau replied: “My direction of
prayer is towards the slanting cap.” Interestingly, Hazrat Nizamuddin
used to wear his cap with a slant. Khusrau continued, “Lovers of the
Beloved take us to Kaabah and to the temple of idols. Lovers of the
Friend are not bothered with infidelity and faith.”
Sadia tells us more about Khusrau. “The creation of the sitar and the tabla are attributed to Khusrau. Several Indian melodies as well as the development of qawaali are also attributed to him. His music compositions include khayals, taranas, naqshs and other ragas
that celebrate the fusion of Indian and Persian melodies. These were
designed to provide novelty in the music assemblies of Hazrat Nizamuddin
khanqah (hospice).”
Entry to a Sufi shrine is open to all, except for the dargah of Bibi
Sara, disciple of Khwaja Qutubuddin, where only women are allowed. As
for women, they avoid the mausoleum of Adham Khan, Akbar’s general.
The Sufis of Delhi were close to the seat of power and many emperors
enjoyed their patronage, but this did not deter them from being secular
in their approach. Nizamuddin Auliya celebrated Basant with great
fervour and there were others who celebrated Diwali as the divine
festival of lights. Many unknown aspects of Delhi’s Sufi heritage are
brought to light by Sadia to make the book a really enjoyable digression
from the mundane cares of life.
Her approach is neither didactic nor fundamentalist. It is the
refreshing observation of a woman whose mind is open to both belief and
rationality. The language is lucid but at places the description could
have been more colourful. The photographs no doubt add to the appeal of
the book but black-and-white shots or sketches may have been better.
Also, the price could have been a notch lower for the sake of students
and retired folk.
The reviewer is the author of the book, The Delhi That No One Knows

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